Quilt No.419VI - Val Ireland

Val Ireland
Owner: 
Val Ireland
Location: 
QLD South West
Maker
Maker: 
Emily Ireland
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Utilitarian quilt. The padding is pieced used clothing and possibly reused blanket. The top and backing are machine pieced cotton scraps in a wide variety of pattern and colours.
1626 x 1601mm
History: 

The internal quilt, now the padding, was made by Emily Ireland (born Metz) 1889-1933 in the late 1920s. It then passed to her son Eric 1924-1994 who was orphaned when he was 12. He took it with him when he married Val who made the new top and backing in 1952 in Penrith NSW. It is not used now.

Story: 

" My grandmother had a lot of Waggas, on the old couches, on the sleepouts. My aunties had them too, they lived in the country and used them for warmth. I learnt about Waggs from them."
[Val Ireland 14.1.98]

Related Quilts:

National Gallery of Australia
" Reversible patchwork quilt of woollen suiting in grey, blue, navy, maroon and brown. The fabrics appear to be new tailor's sample pieces (the sizing is still present on the fabric, signifying it has never been washed). The patches are rectangular and vary in size. Both sides have different designs. The front of the quilt has 4 rows of 12 vertical rectangles then below this are 4 rows of 7 horizontal rectangles followed below by 4 rows of 11 vertical rectangles. The reverse of the quilt has a section at the top and bottom composed of 5 rows of 9 horizontal rectangles. The central area is made up of a centre section of 6 rows of 5 vertical rectangles; flanked on either side by a column of 10 horizontal rectangles and two columns of 8 smaller vertical rectangles.
The patchwork layers are joined at the edges with machine stitching. The patchwork layers and padding are machine quilted on the front down 2 vertical lines following joins in the patchwork; therefore not being totally straight. The lines are more noticeable on the reverse as the 2 sides do not match. The front face is displayed at the NGA.
Between the patchwork layers is a striped cotton blanket in black, sky blue, white and cream." [NGA]
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Gabrielle Carter
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